ANNUAL BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE AND OAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
Bridgetown, Barbados
June 1, 2002

“Opening Remarks”
Barry S. Featherman, Esq.
President, Inter-American Economic Council
 
8:30 – 8: 35 “Welcome”

Ambassador Christopher R. Thomas
Chairman, Inter-American Economic Council
Independent Senator, Trinidad and Tobago

8:35 – 8:45 “Inauguration of Business Roundtable”

The Honorable Senator Phillip Goddard
Prime Minister’s Envoy for Technology, Investment and Trade

8: 50 – 9:00 “An Overview of The OAS General Assembly”

H.E. Dr. Cesar Gaviria
Secretary General
Organization of American States

H.E. Michael King
Ambassador of Barbados to the United States of America and
Permanent Representative of Barbados to the Organization of American States

9:00-10:30 “Tourism and Economic Diversification”

The Downturn in the Tourism Sector has necessitated the need to think
creatively in marketing the region’s investment potential. Despite the
Downturn, the sector continues to be a viable investment area and most
government’s have in place a number of long standing investment incentives.
This session will review growing opportunities in the Tourism Sector and
feature investors who have continued to make a commitment to the region.

Moderator
-Mr. Raul Herrera, General Counsel, Inter-American Investment Corporation

“A Case Study of IIC Funding in the Caribbean”
Presenters
-Mrs. Yolanda Suarez, Chief of Staff, Stanford Financial Group, Miami “A Case
Study in Setting up Caribbean Star Airlines”
 -Ms. Beatrice Rangel, Senior Advisor to the Chairman and Vice President, The
Cisneros Group of Companies
-Ms. Sue Springer, Executive Vice President, Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association
-Dr. Cecil Miller, Director, Inter-Sectoral Unit for Tourism, Organization of American States

10: 45 – 12:00 “Financial Services”

The region’s financial services sector is developing at a strong pace. The
stock exchanges of, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Dominican
Republic and the Bahamas have entered into an agreement for the
harmonization of the regional capital markets. The eastern Caribbean
countries are moving towards expanding their financial services sector and
currently have in place a number of attractive investment incentives. This
sector offers renewed hope for economic growth. This session will review the
opportunities for growth in the Financial Services Sector throughout the
Region and Off Shore banking and financial services, including an update on
the current international financial regulations and ways in which they can
be adapted to make the sector grow.

Moderator
-Mr. Valentin Hernandez, Division Executive, Financial Institutions – Latin America, Citibank

Presenters
-The Right Honorable Lester Bird, Prime Minister, Antigua and Barbuda
-Mr. Ormond Williams, Head Offshore Banking, Barclays Bank, Barbados

  12:00 – 13:30 “Luncheon”

Keynote Address
-Dr. Timothy Harris, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education, St. Kitts & Nevis

13:45-15:00 “ Information Technology”

Information technology has presented most Caribbean countries with new and
exciting prospects for developing new internationally competitive
industries. It has induced rapid expansion in the services sector,
especially financial services and renewed opportunities in agro processing,
manufacturing and tourism through application of more efficient high
technological production processes. Towards this end, private sector
initiatives have been paramount through the construction and development of
infrastructure, indicative of rapid growth in the numbers of Internet
Service Providers as well as governments’ commitment to improvements in the
telecommunications service by allowing private intervention. In addition
governments’ currently have in place initiatives for improving human
resource skills in their IT industries.

Moderator
-Mrs. Ruth Espey-Romero, Head of International Affairs, Greenberg Traurig

Presenters
-Mr. Gary Grant, Vice President & General Manager of Latin America & Caribbean, Verifone, Inc.
-Mr. Anthony A. R. Gunn, Managing Director, CariAccess Communications
-Ms. Carolyn Attong, Ernst and Young

15:15-17:00 “FTAA and its Impact on the Private Sector”

The FTAA and Caribbean Integration: The goal of the FTAA process is to open
a Hemisphere-wide trading zone stretching from the Yukon to Patagonia. The
formal negotiations were launched at the Second Summit of the Americas in
April 1998.  This session will explore the Caribbean's position as a region
composed of small island states and its competitive posture within the
context of the FTAA.  What can the Caribbean Private and Public Sectors due
to create a functional advocacy block within the FTAA negotiations to
represent the interests of the small island states? 

Moderator
-Mr. Barry S. Featherman, Esq, President  Inter-American Economic Council

Presenters
-Dr. Robin Rosenberg, Deputy Director, North/South Center,  University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
-Ms. Jane L. Barber Thery, Deputy Director, Office of Summit Follow-up, Organization of American States
-Professor Vaughn Lewis, former Prime Minister of St. Lucia
-Mr. George Goodwin, Director General (AG), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

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